


Roses and Sunflowers

by ThatOneKinkyBitch



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: (Platonic though), Alternate Universe - High School, Blushing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flirting, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kinda, Kinda?, Like it's a medium burn, M/M, OT6, OT7, Romance, Slow Burn, Soft Nerd Jooheon, Strangers to Lovers, Teenage Drama, bad boy changkyun, minor crack, which turns into
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-03 15:18:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14571819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneKinkyBitch/pseuds/ThatOneKinkyBitch
Summary: If Jooheon was a flower, he would be a sunflower...If Changkyun was a flower, he would be a rose...





	Roses and Sunflowers

**Author's Note:**

> The flower pictures I use are not mine. And I reduced the age gap between Changkyun and the rest of the group by one year.

If Jooheon were a flower, he would be a sunflower. Bright and cheerful, and just being around him made you feel so much lighter. But he's also sturdy and strong and it takes so much to even shake him. He's a source of happiness for everyone he loves and even those he doesn't even know. What no one knows is that sometimes he wants to wither a little, to not be so happy,  _just for a day_.

If Changkyun were a flower, he would be a rose. Gorgeous and dainty from afar, but when handled the wrong way, his thorns will hurt you. As a result, he surrounds himself with people similar to him; just as prone to hurt others. What no one knows is that he desperately wants someone to stop by and appreciate him not for his mystery or nuance, but his beauty and ability to care.

Jooheon's father, to simply put it, was a piece of work. Emotionally constipated, emotionally abusive, and frankly, Jooheon was more than ready to be done with it. He was tired of coming home and only hearing what he did wrong and how many ways he'd failed as a son to his father. He wanted to be able to walk through the door, smile plastered on his face because he'd finally gotten that 90% he'd been striving for for  _months_ , and getting a celebratory dinner from his father because  _I'm so proud of you, Heonney, keep it up_.

His mother left them long ago, for a reason Jooheon can't bring himself to care about or remember. She obviously didn't care enough about him to take him with her, so what was the point in continuing to wait by the window every night, fighting to keep his eyes open to just  _maybe_ catch a glimpse of headlights pulling into the driveway. Sadly, it took nine-year-old Jooheon a little more time than he wanted to get over the loss of his mother, bu once he was over it he never gave her much thought ever again.

Lee Minhyuk was the first point of brightness in his life, bounding and leaping over to Jooheon and just  _brimming_ with excitement.

"Hi!" Jooheon wasn't in the mood for... whatever _this_ was.

"Listen--"

"You seem really lonely, why don't you join us?" He tried to ignore the strange boy tugging at his wrist, but that skinny arm held  _strength_ , and it was bringing Jooheon over to his four other friends before he could get another protest in. The boy introduced them one by one, himself as Lee Minhyuk, and the others as Son Hyunwoo, Yoo Kihyun, Chae Hyungwon, ad Shin Hoseok, And try as he might, everyday Minhyuk would come over and whine until Jooheon caved and joined them for whatever activity the group had settled on for that day.

Eventually, Jooheon would join them all on his own with a small, kind smile, and soon enough he had all five boys wrapped around his tiny finger; there was not a soul that didn't melt at his dimples. They all bonded as they grew older, and when they were in their final year of elementary school is when Jooheon decided to play matchmaker with Minhyuk.

"So, we have two love birds in our circle." The smirk Minhyuk gave him told Jooheon they were thinking of the exact same two people.

"But they aren't going to be  _together_  high school; Hyungwon is heading to Seoul for that school with the reputation for visual arts and photography."

Ah yes, Hyungwon's dream of becoming a model and Hoseok's of becoming a music producer. You'd think Hoseok would join his crush in Seoul, if only because of the arts programmes that are there, but his parents would never support it.

"Absence makes heart grow fonder, dear Minhyuk. And Seoul isn't  _that_ far away; we can visit him more often than you think," Jooheon insisted as he waved his hand in dismissal. "I need to see them happy, and I know you do too."

It took a little while for Hoseok to finally stutter out a confession to Hyungwon--read: on their last day of tenth grade--but hey, it was totally worth how happy they both were whenever they all hung out, fingers interlocked and special smiles sent only to each other. Hoseok started his YouTube channel a few weeks before school started again, going by the name of 'Wonho'--or 'Wonhoe' as per Jooheon and Minhyuk's contacts.

What Jooheon  _doesn't_ expect is a bad boy to come strolling into the campus, a year younger than Jooheon himself, with glinting silver in his ears and a roughly etched tattoo behind his ear and on his wrist. He walked down the halls like he owned place, and didn't spare a glance at the people looking at him in shock, awe, and even those who didn't look at him at all. When the stranger passed their group and locked eyes with Jooheon, he swore his breath left him for a second; he was  _beautiful_ , and something told Jooheon this guy knew it.

Jooheon almost forgot about the beautiful boy in the hallway by the time they started classes, with a picture sitting in their group chat of Hyungwon sipping a Starbucks drink with sass as he waited for his classes to start, but then the boy waltzed into his mathematics class--the one Minhyuk demanded he join him for because _my dad is making me so I'm dragging you down with me_ \--and sat  _right next to him_.

"I never got your name," he said, eyes raking over Jooheon.

"That's because you didn't even talk to me."

The stranger's lips quirked up in a fond smugness, and Jooheon couldn't help but want to know exactly what goes on in that head of his. "Changkyun." Jooheon looked back to the silver adorning the stranger's lip and ears, and noted that he actually wore the look well. Now that he was closer, he noticed that the tattoo behind his ear were the letters I.M. His hair was a muted silver, and his darker roots were starting to show, but something told Jooheon he didn't care much for it. His eyes seemed sharp and alluring, even though there was something softer underneath the false bravado; something more human.

"Jooheon," Jooheon responded, holding out his hand to Changkyun. The latter smirked as he took Jooheon's hand. Their teacher walked in then, and Jooheon turned back to the front, noting that Changkyun pulled out his phone instead. "You aren't gonna pay attention?"

"There's nothin' here I don't already know, sweetheart. Payin' attention is a waste of my time, and I'd much rather beat this annoying level of Candy Crush than do that."

Jooheon felt a flash of annoyance; this kid's in a grade twelve class for the fucking _fun of it_?"If your'e such a genius, why are you even here?"

"Mr. Lee!" Jooheon immediately snapped his mouth shut and muttered an apology to the teacher.

It was actually quite amazing to watch Changkyun answer questions thrown his way without stopping his swiping thumb, and Jooheon decided he wanted to know exactly what the deal was with the resident bad boy. His eyes keep flitting to Changkyun, fascination taking over. It would be an interesting semester with Changkyun's nonchalance.

"Mr. Lim, why do you think you should be on your phone when the rest of your peers are not?" Changkyun let out an annoyed sigh, looking up from the colourful screen with a raised eyebrow. 

"I participate when you ask, I do the work in a faction of the time  _these_ guys do, and I'm not even  _talkin'_. I don't see an issue with me amusin' myself while I listen to people dronin' on about things I already know." Their teacher's eyebrow twitched, and Minhyuk took the opportunity to spin around and face Jooheon with a 'who  _is_ this guy?' look.

"Why are you in this class, Mr. Lim?"

"Mamma asked me to."

"That's--"

"Listen lady," he started, "this is how this is gonna go. I'm gonna keep answerin' your questions when you ask 'em, I'm gonna ace every test, and I'm gonna do my best to keep myself entertained while I'm forced to be in this hell hole. You aren't gonna keep asking me questions about me or my personal life, because not only is that _nosy_ , it's wastin' the time of the people here who actually  _wanted_ to take math in grade twelve. 'Cause, if I  _did_ share more," pausing to show Jooheon his #1 ranking in his game without even looking at him, "I'd have to kill ya."

 

When they weren't in math together, Jooheon only saw Changkyun in passing. He still walked down the hallways with a confident air and completely ignored any and everyone who tried to fawn over him, but when he looked to Jooheon, he smirked and winked, and there was even a time where he  _blew a kiss_.

His friends clearly saw how Jooheon would look at Changkyun, and they all made a point to let Hyungwon in on all the "gossip" when they hung out next.

"Aw, Jooheonie's got a crush!" Jooheon groaned as his head dropped back against the back of the booth.

"Listen, I'm just curious about him,  _that's all_. He's the one whose smiling at me whenever he sees me."

"Then _he's_ got a crush on  _you_ ," Hyungwon pressed, and Jooheon was just _so_ glad the soon-to-be-model wasn't there to witness any interaction between himself and Changkyun.

"I don't think so. He's a flirt, but that's it; he doesn't seem like the type for commitment." His tone brought the discussion of Changkyun and his mysterious habits to a close. "So, how's the Hyungwonho ship sailing?" Both men groaned, Hoseok's more embarrassed and Hyungwon's on the irritated side.

"It's about to throw you overboard," Hyungwon snapped and Hosoek did his best to calm his boyfriend down. Jooheon barely payed him any mind .

"So, Hyungwon, how're classes? Photography seem fun?" The elder brightened immediately, bobbing his head with a soft smile.

"I'm so excited to get my modelling dream going, and..." he paused as he turned to Wonho. "Thank you for not letting us fade because I wanted to move. It means a lot to me." Wonho grinned, taking one of Hyungwon's hands in his and pressing a kiss to the back of it.

"Anything for you, love." Hyungwon made a very blatant point to look away from his boyfriend lest his face turn even more red than it was.

"HYUNGWONHO! HYUNGWONHO!"

"Jooheon I  _swear_ \--"

 

Eventually they all went their separate ways, Hyungwon and Hoseok staying out in the city to spend some time alone together, and the other three heading over to Kihyun's house for one of the youngest's famous batches of seafood ramen, and that left Jooheon to wonder on back home. Inevitably, his thoughts ran back to the snarky boy to his right in Mathematics. There had to be a reason for both his attitude and his accelerated knowledge in a class that was  _two years above him_.

"You think any harder, doll, and your brain's gonna explode." _Speak of the devil._

"What are you, a man form the fifties? Who says 'doll' anymore?" He spun around to face Changkyun and that  _stupid smirk_ was _back_.

"Did you hate it?" Oh, how Jooheon wanted to say yes and be done with it, but the term wasn't even used in malice and it shouldn't have made Jooheon's heart flutter like it did.

"What are you doing here?"

"Avoidin' the question; cute," Changkyun teased, looking over Jooheon once more. "And I was just walkin' around when I saw your dimpled self, and I could resist makin' ya blush." His little accent was cuter than it had any right to be, but it just added to the boy's character, and Jooheon was a sucker for a guy with layers.

"I have so many questions."

"You get to ask one."

Wait _what_? "Really?" He hadn't been expecting it to be so easy.

"Only if I get a kiss for my time." 

Jooheon felt his face almost burst into flames. "WHAT!?" His volume made Changkyun smirk and a few people moving around them turn their heads in their direction, so he had no choice but to bow his head in apology to them. Jooheon turned back to the boy in front of him, eyes wide and annoyed. "You're a little  _shit_ for a kid!" The younger's smirk didn't fade in the slightest, and Jooheon had to ignore the urge to sock him in his  _perfect face_.

"I just like appreciating beautiful things, darling. But, my offer still stands. You get to ask me a question in exchange for a kiss."

Jooheon has been in a lot of embarrassing situations in his life, but this certainly topped everything he'd ever had the displeasure of experiencing.

"I'll... think about it." Changkyun nodded, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the ice cream shop behind him.

"Join me for ice cream then? I'd like to get to know you, if you can't get to know me." 

Joining this strange boy for ice cream would probably be a bad decision. Ah, fuck it. As long as there was ice cream in his stomach, Jooheon would deal with whatever strange things there were to Changkyun. "Sure."

They went inside, and the sheer amount of flavours there were to choose from made Jooheon feel like a kid in a candy store all over again. He gravitated towards the mango and strawberry, sheepishly asking the cashier for a small, even though he had his heart set on the large.

"Don't listen to 'im," Changkyun interrupted, "he really wanted a large." The cashier looked to Jooheon for confirmation, and he could only nod with a blush. Changkyun ordered his own ice cream, and brought it to Jooheon, who was sitting at the corner table. 

"Why.. do you act the way you do?" The younger blinked owlishly. "The whole asshole facade in class when you're actually just a softie?"

"And how do you know _this_ isn't the facade and I'm not fattening you up to feed you to my pack of hellhounds?" What Changkyun said was dark, and Jooheon probably shouldn't have laughed as loud as he did, but there was a little dollop of chocolate on Changkyun's mouth and it made his comment completely null and void.

"The fact that you even said that proves my point." Changkyun wore a genuine, soft smile at that and shrugged.

"I'm not even stickin' around in this town for uni anyway, so I might as well try the bad boy thing, right? And I kinda like havin' the school wrapped around my finger the way it is. I'm not a bully; I'm not goin' around turnin' kids upside down for their lunch money or givin' 'em wedgies, I'm just sorta... livin' while I can."

"You're doing what you can't at home," Jooheon concluded, and  _oh boy_ , he may have struck a nerve.

"Oh?"

"Listen to yourself; your accent is genuine, but let me guess, your mom hates it? So when you're at school you use it to the max, because you can't do it at home." Changkyun looked conflicted, before leaning back in his chair.

"And you're bein' cheery 'cause your dad doesn't let  _you_ be at home, right?" It  _finally_ Jooheon's turn to smirk as he had another spoonful of ice cream.

"Look who's learning."

 

Nothing about their dynamic changed after that; Changkyun still flirted endlessly with Jooheon, and Jooheon still wondered just exactly what else there was to Changkyun, and eventually, parent-teacher interviews were rolling around. His father, of course, fully planned on going because  _I need to find out just how much of a fucking failure you are_. And, to top it all off, he demanded Jooheon accompany him.

Jooheon would rather stick a hair brush in his eye. Sadly, he had no such luxury.

That's why he found himself sitting outside his English teacher's office, resisting the urge to pull out his phone and find literally anything to do lest his father scold him  _yet again_. There was a familiar figure coming into his peripherals, and repressed his smile when he noticed who it was.

Changkyun was walking with his mothe--Wait, was that even Changkyun? There were  _zero_ piercings in his ears and his snakebites were gone, his hair was gelled back and he was in a  _dress shirt_?

"God, our time slot with your teacher is  _now_ , Changkyun, why is there someone waiting  _before us_?" Changkyun's shoulders rose and fell with exasperation, and  _this_ was the woman that he took grade twelve math for? Seriously?

"I'm not sure, mother, but I'm certain we'll be in there before you know it." He didn't realize it, but Jooheon had learned o find Changkyun's accent comforting, and to not hear it present unsettled the latter.

Changkyun's dark eyes didn't even move in his direction the entire time they're waiting, but Jooheon sworn he felt the younger's leg brush up against his more than once. Jooheon was glad for the minimal contact, because it was what gave him the energy to deal with his father for the rest of the night.

It all passed by in a blur of scathing questions from his father and concerned looks from his teacher, and Jooheon honestly just wanted to crash in his bed and forget this whole thing had ever transpired. Thankfully, he got something so much better.

"Jooheon," a familiar voice whispered, just as Jooheon was about to catch up to his father, "come with me."

And Jooheon very soon found out that it was hard to deny this boy anything, so he indulged and let Changkyun lead him wherever the younger wanted. "You finally feeding me to those hellhounds of yours?" Changkyun burst out laughing, turning his head to face Jooheon with a large grin before turning his head to face forward again.

"Nah, but see, then I'd miss ya, and that's just not fair to me." The elder felt a small blush sit high on his cheeks, and when he finally saw waht they were heading towards he dug his heels into the ground.

"Oh  _hell no_. I am not riding that thing!" The bike looked cool, but Jooheon valued his life, and had full intentions to live to see tomorrow. "And why the hell is it even here!? You and your mom came together, no?"

Changkyun shook his head, eyes looking at something beyond Jooheon with lost eyes. "I made a point of comin' without her. She didn't like it, but whatever. And I wouldn't put you in  _danger_ , doll. Trust me, will ya?"

"You realize we basically _just_ met." And it was true; less than four months ago, you wouldn't have been able to convince Jooheon that he'd find himself enjoying his time spent with the school's resident bad boy, but here he was, wanting to just cuddle the younger right then and there.

"And yet you were able to read me like a damn book. No one's been able to do that, and I... wanna show ya more. So. let me?" Jooheon could read every single one of the emotions coursing through Changkyun's eyes, and it was that small fact that made Jooheon follow the younger onto the bike. "Alright, doll," Jooheon smacked him and pointedly ignored the chuckle that rumbled in Changkyun's chest, "ya gotta be as calm as possible, and ya  _have_ to lean when I lean, okay? Cause then we're both sittin' in hospital beds."

"Hey Changkyun?" The younger stopped mounting his bike in favour of looking to Jooheon. "Just in case I die--"

"Which you  _won't_ \--"

"--I wanna let you know that I think your accent is really cute." Jooheon could practically see all of Changkyun's teeth, the smiled so wide, and suddenly he was significantly less scared to be on that bike with him.

It took a moment for Jooheon to calm down, with Changkyun saying things softly to lessen his nerves, but once they were mobile, everything except the warmth of Changkyun in his arms and the wind whipping at his clothes faded away into a blur of colours and white noise. His arms loosened a little so that he wasn't suffocating the poor boy, but they were still clasped tight. When they arrived at their destination, Jooheon barely registered they'd stopped moving until Changkyun whispered: "we're here, love."

Jooheon opened his eyes and took in the beautiful scenery of a forest in the distance, deep green almost blending in with the night sky, and the stars that weren't muted by the city lights. "Where are we?"

"My little getaway spot where I write lyrics." If Jooheon were to be honest, he'd admit that floored him; and he was an honest bastard, so he made a point of showing Changkyun his bewildered face. 

"Where you...  _write lyrics_ ," he repeated. The younger nodded, leading Jooheon to the top of the hill with a grip on his hand.

"The tattoo, behind my ear, it's my stage name."

"Changkyun, you don't have to--"

"I  _want to_ ; how many times I gotta tell ya?"

"I don't..." Jooheon started, and were those  _tears_ in Changkyun's eyes? "I've just been so used to you being distant that this is all--"

"Ridiculous?" The elder's head snapped up at the accusatory tone Changkyun was using. "Stupid? Unwanted?" The latter sighed, beginning to walk back to his bike. "I'd 'a loved to be able ta shore ya more,  _doll_ \--" oh, that time it stung, "--but I think I'll stick to just winkin' at ya."

Jooheon had planned it so much better than this; there was supposed to be those ice cream flavours from their first outing together and a small dinner made by Jooheon himself and a genuine interest shown in Changkyun and his hobbies right before he pressed a kiss to this adorable boy's lips. Their first kiss was supposed to be romantic and sweet, not desperate and tragic.

But, here Jooheon was, gripping the soft leather of Changkyun's jacket with such strength that he was shocked he didn't tear a seam. It kind of hurt with how hard he was pressing his mouth up against Changkyun's but this is the boy who not  _once_ missed a chance to smile at him or make his heart flutter and he  _knew how Jooheon worked_ and he'd be damned if he let the younger think he didn't care for him as a person.

"Don't you  _dare_ put words in my mouth, Lim Changkyun," Jooheon panted out once he was sure Changkyun wouldn't flee. "I was going to say 'new, but totally welcome'. I've been trying to get to know you for the entire semester, and now that you've finally started to open up, I just... shut down. But, if you'll still have me, I'd love to know why this spot is yours."

 

There was not a single one of Jooheon's friends that wasn't apprehensive of Changkyun's new status as Jooheon's boyfriend.

"Hello," Changkyun started, accent lessened. "It's nice to meet you--"

"Oh kid stop it." All eyes landed on Hoseok. "We know you got an accent, don't hide it for us."

It took a little while for the conversation to get off the ground, but then Changkyun and Hoseok got to talking about the music they write and produce and the absolute hits they could make together if they got a few hours in a studio together. By the end of their little get together, everyone left the booth with a fondness for their newest, youngest member of their circle.

Changkyun eventually lost his reputation as the resident bad boy--some bastard freshman named  _Vernon_ , who was quite obviously not as bad as he acted, replaced him--but he couldn't find it in himself to mind. He gained an adorable boyfriend, and five friends who never failed to make him feel welcome when he couldn't find a place with anyone else.

Both of their parents weren't too pleased about their...  _interactions_ , but there was nothing either of them could do to stop them, and they learned to accept that fact eventually, Changkyun's mom more loving than Jooheon's father.

Changkyun was absolutely heartbroken when he watched all of his friends graduate at the end of the year. He learned to love them with all his heart and his  _boyfriend_ \--who he would gladly label his soulmate--would now be so far away, and then Changkyun would have to go a whole 365 days until he could be in the same vicinity as them again. They all promised to hang out with him as often as they could, with Jooheon swearing up and down that he would video call him every night.

After all, a sunflower's sturdy stock is more than willing to withstand the thorns of the rose for its beauty and company.


End file.
